Hell Divine
by Kalum16
Summary: Abaddon is a demon who's known nothing but pain and prejudice. Gabrielle is an angel who lives on acceptance and kindness. How will they affect each other as they meet throughout their school life?
1. Chapter 1

I don't see myself as miserable. Misery is a negative concept, it would give the impression that I act like I hate myself when I know nobody is against me and I'm just wasting my own time being angry for no reason whatsoever.

Nah, that isn't me.

Firstly - I don't hate myself, I'm the only bloody thing I can stand to look at.

Secondly - I _know_ people hate me so technically it's okay for me to hate them back. You get what you're given after all.

Finally – I sure as heck am never angry without reason. I honestly can't see why anyone would act like a dick unless they had a damn good reason; no one just wakes up and is like "Hmm, what to do, what to do today…Oh, by jolly, I've got it! I'm gonna just sit on a bench growling at any poor fool who looks my way! Oh, that does sound like fun. Maybe I could even throw some cigarettes on the Priests today, that sounds absolutely delightful."

I can't stand people like that.

Which is why I had a reason to be angry when Xaphan accused me of being one of those losers.

"Shut up." I said plainly, trying to drown out his words with a third cup of coffee. It'd been a sleepless night previously, and I was far too tired to deal with any moaning today, especially at 8 o'clock in the morning. See, reason to be mad. There's a difference.

" _That!_ " Xaphan growled, "Is exactly what I'm talking about." He pressed a fading cigar onto the, already burn stained, table and threw the remains into a dying pot plant. "Seriously, kid, I'm done with your pouting already."

"I'm not pouting, Xaph," I said, swallowing down a mouthful of burnt toast. "And, for real, could you stop burning this place up?! You think Artie's gonna let us stay after he finds out we, no, _you've_ trashed the place after a week?"

Xaphan rolled his eyes and pulled out another cigarette, "You let me worry about that," He said with a snap of his fingers, immediately a small pale flame erupted from the finger tips which he used to light the disgusting stick. He waved away the flame, and my complaints, with a twist of his hand. "And don't think about changing the subject. We're talking about you right now!"

It was more like he was talking and I wasn't listening, but the look in his eyes made me hold my tongue. Even though nothing reflected in the pale white orbs, I could still see the agitation growing in the knot on his brow.

"Look, I honestly don't know what you want me to do." I mumbled, resting my cheek in an open palm.

"Anything!" Xaphan exclaimed, setting himself down at the table, "Anything else then wandering around the district like a lost child! What do you even do?"

For the past few days I'd entertained myself by taking walks around Safe Haven and biding my time in various stores, mostly spending my time in a local library browsing through the history sections, by now I practically could recall the founding fathers of every district by name. I'd also read through a particular book that made me crack a smile; Good old Dante, 800 years on and still nobody had realised he was a rogue Demon unleashing the mysteries of Hell onto a sceptical world. Lucifer still wanted his head for the _incredibly_ false description of him, that was the only part of 'Inferno' that was untrue, and while most Surface dwellers believed the description, every Daemon knew it was only an incredibly bitter, but hysterical, lie.

Seriously, three heads each eating a person? Ridiculous.

"Stuff." I said, taking another bite of toast.

"Uh huh," Xaphan leant back irritably, "And, uh, what about your _appearance?"_

I groaned, did he think I was stupid? "Yes! Of course, I'm in façade!" I snapped. That was what we called the disguises we wore on the surface, we needed to change if we wanted to survive, creatures like _us_ would be in danger otherwise.

Well…maybe not me, but other demons? Definitely.

Xaphan rubbed his bare head with disbelief, "Yes, well, I've got news for you, my friend." I saw the tips of his drumming fingers begin to spark, each drum on the table darkening the perfect circles of scorched wood. "You may not be needing that anymore."

"What?" I raised a brow, unsure of what I'd just heard. Xaphan grinned at me - That was new. I didn't like new. - sharp fangs aligned in a mocking pattern, a sense of dread dripping off them like poison. "You want me to go out like _this_?" I almost laughed at the insanity of his suggestion. "Wow. Didn't know you wanted me strung up like a gutted pig. And here I thought you liked me." I said, returning his fake grin with a glare, I wasn't in the mood for this childish crap.

Xaphan chuckled falsely, "Don't flatter yourself, boy." He muttered, scratching a green cheek with a claw. "But, in all seriousness, you won't be needing to style yourself like a damn…what the hell is that?" He snapped, pointing at my disguised face.

"Leopard."

"Leopard! Christ in Hell, have some damn dignity boy!" Xaphan said contemptuously, sipping off the silver flask he always kept in a pocket. He smacked his lips, "You're a damn Hellhound for God's sake, don't shape up like some ink splattered feline."

"Least it kept me alive." I said blankly, "Where the Hell were you going with this?"

"Oh yeah," He grumbled, setting the flask down. "Where was I…oh, right." When his smile returned I knew it was bad news for me.

Not bad, terrible.

"You're going to ZPA." He said, pulling up a newspaper and glancing at the sports section passively.

For a moment the room was silent, me staring down in blank disbelief, and him muttering about the baseball scores, it almost seemed normal. Then I ran his words round my head again. Then I erupted. "What?!" I yelled, my palms slamming down on the table. "I-Just- What?!" I rarely raised my voice, but this was different.

ZPA? Zoo Phoenix Academy? Had he gone insane? Did this fool really expect me to set foot in on the most populated areas of the surface? By God, he actually did want me dead!

"Are you nuts?" I bellowed, "Why the heck would I go to a damn College?!"

He didn't look up from his newspaper, his face seemed painfully content. "Because I said you are?" He said plainly, licking a fingertip to turn the page. "Besides it'll do you some good."

"Is that supposed to be funny?" I growled, trying to get my glare over the rim of his paper. "In what way is stepping into the freakin' social ground of those Celestial worshippers 'doing me good'? It's more like _I'm_ nailing myself to the damn cross before they cut me up!"

"Don't be dramatic!" Xaphan said, "Nobody crucifies anyone anymore, they'll just get straight to the vivisection."

I ripped the paper out of his hands, I could already feel my eyes gleam black. My hand burned crimson and immediately it burst out a jet of fire that enveloped the papers and transformed the sheets into a scattered cloud of ash in a matter of seconds. Xaphan stared on boredly as the particles gently set onto the carpet.

He looked up at me, unimpressed, "You haven't done that in a while."

"This isn't a joke, Xaphan!" I yelled, waving my hand to remove it of smoulder. "I ain't doing it, but why the Hell would you expect me to?"

He stared at me for a moment, pulling out his flask again to take another swig of whatever it was he had this time. His eyes kept on mine the whole time, unafraid and unflinching. Then he stood up and walked towards me slowly.

Unwillingly, I took a step back. Even though he was several thousand years old, the broad lines of muscle still protruded behind his gown, and he still towered a good foot above me, and he still was the only person I actually gave a damn about, and thus was the only person who could evoke a hint of surprise, or worse fear, out of me.

His hand rose and my eye twitched foolishly, it showed distrust to one of the few rules we shared, we'd never physically hurt each other, we needed that rule, we knew so many people would try to hurt us, it would be the end of things if we turned on each other.

It rested momentarily on my shoulder before travelling to rest on his hip, he stared down at me with a half-lidded gaze. "You done. Ready to listen?"

I sighed hazily and sat back down.

"Great." I was surprised when he offered me the flask, but I hid it behind a tired stare. I took the sliver bottle from him and took a quick gulp, gagging at the burning taste.

I heard Xaphan laugh crudely and I glared back up at him, shoving the flask back into his grasp. "You know I hate whisky!" I said.

He shrugged, "Yep, that's what makes it funny." He sat before me and stretched the tired muscles in his arm. "Back to business. Trust me kid, you're gonna be fine. I made a deal with the peacekeeper of the Academy and he's just dandy about it."

"You what?" I said with a start. A peacekeeper actually allowing a demon was something I'd never heard of before, and I'd never seen a demon in the streets before. "When did you do that?"

"While you were leaching around that library yesterday, I went in façade, of course, but when I unveiled myself before him he didn't look like he gave two shits what I was." My jaw almost dropped, he revealed himself before a surface dweller?!

"You could have been killed!"

"Well I wasn't." He said, waving the worry off like dust, "Anyway, I talked to the guy for a couple minutes and he says it's fine. They're a very 'accepting' 'non biased' Academy." We both rolled our eyes at the clichéd language. "So, yeah, you're in. Have a blast." He leant back in his chair and sighed.

As good as he made that sound, it didn't change one major thing. "Xaph, I don't want to go there." I said, crossing my arms in silent anger. "I've learnt enough on my own for seventeen years, I don't need to be among a horde of cheerleaders and jocks to know anything else."

Xaphan shrugged, "Maybe, maybe not. But I'm sick of you just roaming around all the time with your thumb up your ass." He said harshly, I scoffed with a dagger cast frown. "At least if you're there, I know you haven't been taken hostage by some crazy extremists."

"I can handle myself." I said it plainly because we both knew I could.

Xaphan grumbled, "Be that as it may, it still takes the blame off my back if you do kick the bucket." He paused for a moment, like he was going to say something else, but he kept silent, a deep shadow over his gaze which made me raise a brow. Whenever Xaphan was looked in thought it gave me discomfort; thought wasn't him, going along with the plans was him. That's why he was where he was now. He went along with Satan's revolution and was cast out of Heaven as a fallen angel, and for reasons I _still_ didn't know, was left as my guardian.

Which in turn, also meant _I_ was left travelling from home to home; for the first eight years through the levels of Hell, and the last nine on the surface, both of which always ended with the rucksack on my back again, and I was expecting it would happen again in the next year or so. This Academy thing, if I actually was gonna do it, wouldn't have lasted long.

Some might call it lonely, I'd say otherwise. Was I always in danger? Sure. But it was just me and the one guy I knew wasn't going to kill me the whole while, I'd call it semi-comfortable.

"Besides," The fallen angel said with a mocking smile, "Maybe it'll be fun."

"Yeah, I don't think so." I said quickly, I just wanted this conversation to be over already, "Thanks but no thanks Xaph." I said, walking away from the scene. Just a couple minutes reading would get my head out this nonsense.

"Where you heading?"

"Out."

"You're forgetting something." He chuckled darkly.

"No, I'm n- OW!"

I thought he pushed me when I felt something hard against my back. My hands barely had time to hold by body up while my knees collided with the floor. "What the Hell, Xaph!" I yelled, whipping around and readying myself to kick his thigh. But he hadn't pushed me, he was still sat down in his chair grinning lazily at me. I looked to my left and grimaced at the sight, "Way to waste your money, Xaph." I said, grabbing the full schoolbag to hurl back at his stupid grin, "Good aim though."

"I know," Xaphan said, clapping his hands together lightly, "A bit lucky, though, that you fell where I wanted you to."

My face grew cold, "What are-?" My breath faltered as I felt my feet sink lower, I barely had time to look at the swirling orange portal he had opened before I began falling through at a rapid pace. Even above my angry scream I heard his last words scratch my brain.

"Just take the façade off when you enter the Academy! Oh, and I left you some deodorant in the front pocket. A shower would mean you'd have agreed to this!"

…

The only good thing about portals is that they last no time in all. You go in, you go out, that's it.

The bad news is that it's the orchestrator that decides where you come out. Which means I fell from the damn ceiling, ten feet onto the hard ground.

My back exploded with pain as I hit the floor. I had no time to groan before the heavy bag also fell straight into my stomach, causing me to turn onto my side clutching my winded chest in furious discomfort. From my blurred vision I could make out that I was in an office of some sort, a thick desk was placed just ahead of me and I could almost make out a set of long shapes rush towards me

"Are you all right, young man?" A deep voice at my side said, touching my shoulder gently. I coughed and spluttered for a second, slowly regaining my breath before forcing myself to sit up. I turned to the voice and was greeted with a long yellow chest.

"Up here," I heard the voice chuckle. When I glanced up I was met with the face of a cheetah, his eyes carried a sense of concern even behind his sleepy gaze. The guy must be the principle of the- Xaphan dropped me in the Academy! The green dickhead! "Are you okay?" The cheetah said, ignoring my audible irritation. His voice was low and smooth, carrying a slight African accent.

I pushed myself to my feet, allowing him to guide me up from under my arm before quickly creating some distance. I wasn't going to stay long, I didn't want to augment the guys disappointment. "Yeah, I'm great, thanks."

"Are you sure? That was quite a fall." He said, a disbelieving frown evident.

I scoffed, "Yeah, I know." And was I gonna have some fun paying the cause of the fall back times fifty. "But I'm just fine." I rubbed myself off, straightening out my jacket.

"Oh, all right then." The cheetah backed off, he wore a confused frown. "Would you happen to be Abaddon?"

"Is the demonic portal so telling?"

He laughed but he didn't smile. "Yes well…I was under the impression that you were of a different species."

Oh, right. I still looked like a cat. I stared at him warily, I knew-as a rule-to never let my guard drop until I was certain I was in safe keeping. For all I knew he could be badgering me into unveiling myself just so he could set a pack of wires and holy water on me. "You talked to him?" I didn't mention Xaph's name, just because he was stupid enough to let his guard down, it didn't mean I was gonna put myself in a fight as well.

"Your guardian? Yes, yes. Everything is in order." He must have noticed the distrust in my eyes because he quickly added, with a warm smile, "Don't worry, Abaddon, I promise you this is a safe place."

I smiled thinly at him. "Someone's said that to me before." My voice lowered. "That's how we were kicked out of three homes." I softened the numbers slightly, it was actually seven homes. I'd let my true form out to a 'kind' soul and within two minutes I was being chased by a storm of Xirxine officials or a horde of savage Demons.

The cheetah's smile faded. "I'm sorry that's happened, but believe me when I say that Zoo Phoenix Academy is an interspecies society that will gladly accept you." The guy seemed like a genuine guy, but I needed more than seemed if he wanted me to risk my life. He clearly knew this too. For a moment we both just stared at each other until he added, "If it makes you more comfortable, we do have another Demon attending this school."

My eyes widened but I kept calm, "Really? What kind of Demon?"

"He happens to be the heir to the Hell Royal family." My heart almost leapt into my mouth, Satan's kid was in the school! No way, that family would never allow that! "It was a deal made with his own guardians, I did not wish to discriminate against him because of his kind," His voice was a stone of sincerity, but his eyes maintained an honest softness. "The same way I do not wish to discriminate against you."

For a moment I felt a sting of guilt. Like I was the bad guy here, so distrusting of such a nice guy. Then I reminded myself of every shot and scar that had painted my body red because of the dangerous emotion of trust and I swallowed the sick kindness down.

Still, maybe I could indulge him.

After all, there was a certain difference from the previous times I'd unveiled myself when I was just a runty little pup.

If this guy tried anything, I could kill him and all his cronies in an instant.

I shrugged. "Fine, fine. Just give me a sec." I snapped my fingers and concentrated the spell in my mind, immediately my body grew warm and I felt a quick jet of transition energy surge through my body. Within no time the paws had stretched into hands, my face had-painlessly-thrust my nose forward into a normal snout and had allowed those hideously small tufts grew into long pointed ears that lay down my back, those normal white eyes blinked and turned black, and the red shade of my fur crept across my flesh to stain the black spots of the disguise. It was over in a second and I stood before him in my true self. A Demon by all means,

A Hellhound.

The last Hellhound.

The cheetah looked me over, and I tensed my hands, the moment he screamed out was the moment I ripped that voice from his throat.

He smiled again. "Excellent. It's nice to meet the real you, dear boy."

Wasn't expecting that. It was at that moment I felt the calm air of the room gently stroke my nerves. I relaxed, staring at the cheetah in wonder. "What's the catch, here?" I pressed, crossing my arms.

"There is no catch." The feline said plainly, pulling out a document from his desk. He motioned to the chair in front of him and I slowly sat down before him, not being able to stop myself from noticing its comfortable padding, opposed against the harsh wood and rock I was used to. He placed a pen in front of me, "If you'd just sign here, we can get to work."

I looked down at the paper inquisitively. "Feel free to read through it as many times as you like." He said, leaning back softly.

Right answer.

I scanned every line, searching for any hidden trick, any dangerous clause, any deadly enigma. But it was as plain and direct and safe as it could get; all I had to do was sign the dotted line, right below what I recognised as Xaphan's signature, and I would join this little parade.

One thing was certain, as far as this cheetah went, I was actually safe.

Didn't change one thing though.

"Look, you seem like a nice guy, Mr…" I almost blushed when I realised I didn't know his name.

"Zechariah," the cheetah smiled, his voice was as soft as velvet.

"Right," I said, nodding gratefully, "Zechariah, I'm sorry you've been told differently, but I didn't really want to come here." I felt a tinge of sympathy when Zechariah's smile dropped.

"Oh?"

I shrugged at him, "Xaphan didn't even tell me about this until ten minutes ago."

Zechariah's tail swung carefully in the air, "Hm, I suppose that explains the sudden entrance."

"Exactly. Look it's nothing against you, but I just don't want to do this, thanks," When neither of us said anything for a few seconds I got ready to step up and take my leave. I needed to have a _talk_ with Xaphan.

"May I ask why you don't want to join?" Zechariah asked gently, his voice as stoic and cool as ever.

I paused, this was turn awkward. I just wanted to get out of there! "I…just like my own company," The cheetah may have thought of me as a loner, but if wasn't going to stat there much longer, damned if I care. "Plus, while you seem like a good guy, I'm pretty sure that someone here won't take kindly to a Demon as their classmate."

Sure. I was certain. There was no way in Hell that this place was such a fantasy that every student would be 'welcoming' to the presence of Satan's creations. This guy could sugar coat it all he liked, he wasn't gonna fool me.

Zechariah shrugged, "Of course not."

My jaw dropped, "Huh."

"There will undoubtedly be a few issues while you're here, that's expected of every student in this Academy." He said it plain and simple, unforgivingly to the point. "But I also know that there are many students here who will be happy to meet you, your performance teacher Jackie has already spoken in delight about getting to know her new student."

I couldn't believe it.

This guy was saying all the right things.

He didn't beat around the bush, he even acknowledged it, he was painstakingly honest. And the worst part, he meant every word with an impossible sense of kindness.

Unbelievable. I already respected this guy.

"Oh," Zechariah lit up with a realised beam, "Your guardian also told me of your love of reading, and I can promise that you will get no greater a library than ours. We have several first edition copies with unedited texts by the founding fathers of Safe Haven themselves."

Damn it Xaph! That was a low blow!

I looked back down at the paper, the dots beckoning me closer and closer, my hand twitched and formed a fist ready to grasp the pen.

"Wait!" My eyes met his in stone. "Did you say performance?" No…nononononono, please tell me he didn't.

"That was our suggestion after your guardian mentioned that you owned a guitar and a notebook of lyrics."

GOD DAMN IT! He'd found out! I'd bought that damn thing just a few months ago, it wasn't because I was interested or anything, it was just something I could use to pass the time. And I'd made sure that it was hidden away. Had he really been snooping in my damn bedroom walls?!

"Oh God." I muttered, my face sinking into my hands. I was never gonna hear the end of this.

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about, Abaddon." The cheetah said proudly, "This school indulges in the talents of our students!" Yeah, well it wasn't them I was worried about. I could already feel Xaph's mocking grin on my back, the songs he would spontaneously sing erupting into my ears. If I went back now, he would.

I started up and blinked. The clever bastard.

If he thought embarrassment was gonna keep me at this Academy throughout the day… He was partly right.

It's not like I had to talk with the fools, and if any of them actually wanted to start a real fight, well it'd be their funeral. Maybe it'd just be like a normal day, I'd go to these lessons, keep my head down, do what the teachers wanted, and then I could retreat to the library until I had to face my treacherous guardian again. It's not like they're were any better options, as long as I did what Xaph wanted, he'd leave my phone clear of his taunts.

I sighed, and gave in, picking up the pen.

"All right, you win." I said, signing my name on the parchment and sliding the paper towards Zechariah. He smiled and rose to hold out an open paw.

"Welcome to Zoo Phoenix Academy, Abaddon, I hope you enjoy it here." I half-heartedly shook the paw. It was done. I was now part of this circus. Now it was time to sink into the shadows and let these hours pass by.

"So, now what." I said, eager to retreat away as soon as I could.

Zechariah looked at his watch patiently, "Just a moment, I'll call someone to give you a tour soon, but I just want to wait a while longer, there's another new student who I want included on the tour."

Huh. Another new student? Did that mean I had to be shown around like a lost sheep with another friendless chump? Great, that idiot would probably wanna fill me in the blank space of 'new best friend.' Well, they had a rude awakening coming their way.

Then the door creaked behind me, and I saw Zechariah's warm smile return. "Oh, hello there, you must be Gabrielle, please take a seat." A girl, huh? Well that didn't matter, either way they'd probably freeze at the sight of the Demon.

"Yep! So sorry I'm late!" A chipper, high voice seemed to sing back; I cringed. "My friend Jess was just showing me to the office." She already had a friend, that was better for me.

"It's no issue at all, I was just welcoming another new student while you came."

"Oh really?" I could hear her footsteps increase, along with a hasty flap of wings. An avian then. "Nice to meet you!" I heard the sickly sweet voice chirp at my side and I caught sight of a welcome hand from the corner of my eye. "My name's Gabrielle."

I exhaled softy, better get this over with. "Yeah, same here, I'm Abaddon." I placed my hand in hers before turning to face her.

The world stopped.

A white dress perched lightly on her thin shoulders. Her hair was golden and cut short, resting just below her ear. Two white wings protruded from the surface of her shoulders, almost like a dove. But the human figure gave everything away.

She was a Celestial.

An angel.

And despite the fact she could see the black eyes, the sharp fangs, and the shocked face up close, she just carried on smiling her wide, friendly smile. Hell, it even broadened!

Then in her sweet, chipper, kind little voice, she exclaimed, "I hope we can become friends!"

…

 **This is a redo of an old story I lost touch with a few years ago. But recently these characters have made their way back into my mind, and I couldn't help myself from writing down their words. I hope you guys enjoy these characters as much as I do.**

 **As for the next chapter of 'Unexpected', well I'm not really sure when it will come out. I've tried to write down several ideas and every time I feel unsatisfied with the result, I hope with this story I can at least create something I'm proud to have written, but I'm not cancelling 'Unexpected', I'll get the next chapter out and then I'll put the story on a brief hiatus.**

 **Until next time.**

 **Abaddon/Xaphan/Gabrielle belong to me.**

 **Zoophobia and its characters belong to Vivziepop.**


	2. Chapter 2

"So, what did your parents say again?"

I turned to Jessie with a small smile, "My Mom was great about it!" I exclaimed, "Said she thought it'd be a good opportunity for me to learn more about the surface." Jessie smiled back, her whiskers rising with approval, patting me on the back firmly.

"That's great!" Jessie chuckled, her head rising with a confident smirk. "Always knew you're Mom would be cool about it." She said with a toothy grin, "She always was awesome! She knows she can trust you with me, you see?"

My eyes rolled as I gently nudged her arm. "Sure, sure. Trust me with girl who, just yesterday, jumped into my arms because her little brother sprayed her with a water gun."

She blushed and frowned at me. "I told you that in confidence!" I giggled while she crossed her arms with a pout. "You'd do the same if you were me."

"Aww." I sprung out my bottom lip childishly. "You're really playing into the stereotypes aren't you, Jess?" I grinned as she lightly pushed me away. "All I need now is a ball of yarn, maybe a laser pointer, and you'll be the full package."

She guffawed at that, her hands pressing on her hips. "Look who's talking!" She exclaimed, beginning to point towards all over my body. "White dress, sweet, smooth voice, chalk white skin" She ran a hand through her purple fringe with a puckered expression, "And beautiful, golden locks. I mean, of course it'll be no surprise people confuse you for a porcupine!"

I scoffed while she laughed exaggeratedly, "Fair point. But can you blame me? The only clothes I have are in white." That wasn't a lie. It seemed to be the only colour Heaven generally approved of, a 'pure' colour they argued.

I'd call it boring.

"Well then, Gabs." Jessie said, wrapping an arm around my shoulder and rubbing a furry cheek against mine. "First thing we're gonna do on our free periods is get you some new styles!"

I giggled and broke away from her. "Your whiskers tickle me. Styles, hm?"

"Why, of course! No one knows colour like I do." That was definitely true. Though I'm not sure people would want to know colour like Jessie did. She looked like a walking Picasso painting, always finding clothes with a random barrage of colour patterns, sometimes it worked, most times it didn't. That was because she always normally wore her favourite sweater, a constant linework of black, purple and peach. It was like coffee, some hated it, Jessie loved it, hence why she wore it now. One thing was for certain, it stood out, kind of like Jessie's personality: unapologetically expressive but forgivingly fearless.

Me? Colour wasn't really something I specialised in. Not like it was my fault. "I don't think my Dad would appreciate your eye for style."

"This isn't about your dad, Gabs." Jessie said sternly, "This is me making sure my best friend gets the very best taste of the surface." If Jess thought calling me her best friend would tempt me away from the strict air of my father, she was absolutely right. Plus there was that special little word.

Surface.

I, Gabrielle Wright, was going to be the first ever angel student to study on the surface. I felt like a red carpet celebrity, walking down the path to a premiere or award. Not a feeling shared by most angels on Heaven though, hardly any of them really cared, probably due to my Dad wanting to keep the information isolated like it was Patient Zero. According to him, Angels were in Heaven for a reason and mixing with the surface walkers, while not a sin, was harshly disapproved of in the City of Eden.

More like disapproved of by him. The angels who did know, like our closest neighbours, had only nodded mildly and sipped on a second cup of tea.

"What was your dad like, this morning, anyway?" I gave her a thin gaze and moaned through grit teeth. Jessie chuckled weakly, "That bad, huh?"

I shrugged, "I guess it could have been worse. He didn't really say anything." Heck, had he even looked at me past his study of the Christian section of the newspaper.

Jessie made a face, "Silence can be telling, Gabs, always be prepared for disownment." She nudged me jokingly.

"Oh, don't you start." I nudged her back. "I trust my Mom with him, he'll come around to it eventually." I smiled. I just needed to keep positive about it, it wouldn't help anyone to panic over nothing.

Jessie flicked her head back with a smirk, "If you say so, little miss holy. Enjoy school while you can."

"I plan to!" This was the dynamic I'd come to expect between me and Jess. She'd say something sarcastic, I'd say something equally sarcastic, and that conversation point would end right there, and we'd move on to the next. A full circle of sarcasm. It did get annoying at times but we kept it for the sake of the super close best friendship scheme we'd been working on since we were small; since my mom had given in to a lonely five year olds demands and allowed me to take secret visits to the surface, behind my dads' back, and little Gabi had ended up meeting an equally lonely kitten.

Cut through twelve years of visits and puberty and here we were. The best friend scheme had worked out. Yay!

"You sure about the wings though?" Jessie asked.

"What do you mean?" I asked, craning my head to peek at the two white pinions. They looked all right to me.

Jessie rubbed her neck and darted her eyes around us. "We are in the street, you know?" I looked around us and I understood her words. We were indeed in the middle of a very busy street and every single person who passed by was definitely giving a second look to the unmistakable appearance of an angel among them. One guy kept his gaze on us for so long he didn't realise he'd walked into a lamp post until the metal connected with a painful thud. "Serves you right, bozo! Keep walking!" Jessie yelled with a feral hiss.

"Jess!"

Jessie turned back with a sheepish smile, "Sorry, forgot your love thy neighbour motto. For real, though, you okay with every creep looking at you like that?"

"They're just curious." I said gently, "Wouldn't you be?" It really wasn't like they'd have seen an angel before, after all. There was no need to be annoyed by natural wonder, I'd certainly be looking over if a surface was walker was walking in the middle of Heaven.

Jessie waved her hand with a scoff. "You call them curious," She cast a dangerous glare at a man that passed, making him retreat into an unsuspecting shrub. "I'd tell them to mind their own business."

I gave an apologetic smile to the man before casting Jessie a frown. "Jessie, please don't do this."

"Do what?"

"You know I love you and that I appreciate you, but we do need to actually speak to these people before we decide they're idiots." Strangely obvious statement, I know, but by the Lord did Jessies' stubborn, but charming, worry ignore basic facts. I still couldn't decide if it was a strength or a flaw on her accord. It was well meaning though, so I could praise it.

Jessie rolled her eyes and shrugged, clearly already set on her own mind. "I know that, but if someone ends up hurting my little angel bestie, I will not be held responsible for when their front teeth are in a pile on the pavement!" She said, intently staring at the fist she'd made in her hand, images of scenes that would never occur racing through the dark crevices of her mind.

I could have argued how violence was never a good resolution, or I could have simply said that it would never come to that, but I knew Jessie well enough to know where those answers would get me. Logic wasn't what we needed here, logic can alienate people, cause problems, sometimes you just need to give in and tell people what they want to hear. It's called emotional support.

So, I chuckled and pulled her in for a tight friendly hug, whispering, "Sure.", as we carried on laughing childishly down the street.

…

I still can't get past the colours; every time I set foot on the surface I'm reminded just how beautiful and glorious the world truly is. It's probably because I come from a world made up of nothing but blue sky, white clouds, and golden pavements, but each day spent among the technicolour landscapes below me I feel my stomach twist with hysteria. The good kind, obviously.

God, I can still remember how I could barely walk the first time I came down. For a while my wings had to carry my slumped, hyperventilating body.

Jessie led me to the Academy doors, the forefront of the massive building I would soon be able to explore so much more of. Hordes of students began to pass by, the majority of them just carrying on their way without care while, as expected, a good number cast an odd glance in my direction. I felt Jessie place a hand on my shoulder protectively, but I didn't feel intimidated. I felt honoured.

The thing with Heaven is you are meant to be equal with each other in physical and emotional appearance, and one way we were meant to maintain that was through the bland white colour scheme present on every angel. You never passed someone who seemed like their own separate entity, just another smile and another set of white clothes. You never felt like you were anyone…special, importance was only meant for the Divine in our world, everyone else was on equal ground, nothing more, nothing less.

Here, I was different. I was, in a way, special. Everyone here was! We all dressed, looked and spoke in our own personal ways. We all shared the same world, but we were all able to see it differently.

Jessie patted my shoulder, "You all right, Gabs." I nodded, Jess didn't need to worry about me. I was more than fine.

"More than you could imagine, Jess." I said, giddiness making me shake. "I can't believe this is happening!"

Jessie pulled her bag over her shoulder confidently, "Believe it, my sweet little seraph. This is where you belong!" She wrapped a friendly arm around my neck, walking me up to the entrance like a bride to the isle. I allowed her to lead me, my head spinning too much for me to do otherwise.

We fumbled in the crowd of students and I finally stepped into the place I had wished to enter since I was small. A hallway of emerald green lockers walled the sides, save for the many classrooms which cast different directions of this scholarship maze, each leading down a separate leeway of genius and talent. Jessie led me on like a mother navigating their child through a busy shopping mall, never once letting go of my arm as we passed by students, lockers, memorial photos of smiling students and teachers, and glass displays of numerous trophies. Students still cast gazes at me, some curious, some smirking, some smiling, but most just carried on with their own lives. Every single student was a new discovery: cats, dogs, ghosts, birds, lizards, witches, warlocks, flipping dinosaurs! Creatures only evident from textbooks now swarmed me like a hive of wasps, letting me know that they were indeed real.

And I couldn't have been happier!

I'd actually managed to offer a small wave to the smiling students when Jessie stopped me before a door. She let go of my arm and politely, yet firmly, knocked on the door. A golden plaque on the door read: _Principle Wilson. Vice Principle Zechariah_. "Just gotta get you settled in with the teach." Jessie said, dramatically stepping back to allow me to open the door. "After you, Gabs!"

I giggled at her dramatics but looked over the door warily. Was I really going to do this? Was I really going to be allowed to attend my dream this easily? It just felt like I still had something left to do. In Heaven, you always had to do past your best in order to get any kind of reward, but here I was just about to strut in and be granted my wish? This was actually how easy it was on the surface? I dusted of my dress again and wiped a loose strand of hair out of my face. If these people wanted the perfect positive angel, by Jove was I going to give it to them. Inhaling softly, I pressed my hand on the handle.

I saw the teacher immediately. A giant cheetah sat behind a desk talking to someone sat before him in a large purple chair. The cheetah glanced in my direction and waved a paw, beckoning me forward. "Oh, hello there." He said with a smile and voice as smooth as honey. "You must be Gabrielle, please take a seat." He said, gesturing to a second chair. His manner was intensely welcoming, and I'd already decided I liked him.

"Yep!" I piped, "So sorry I'm late." Was I late? I didn't really know. Well, if I was at least I'd apologised for it. "My friend Jess was just showing me to the office."

The cheetah chuckled warmly, the kind of tone from a kind grandfather. "It's no issue at all. I was just welcoming another new student while you came." He nodded thankfully at Jessie who stood by the door, giving the cheetah a playful salute before heading off to her first class.

Another student? That was great! I could get to know the Academy along with them, we could be each other's first new friend, and they could teach me more about the surface! This was a great situation. "Oh really?" I said excitedly, not being able to stop the chipper flap of my wings as I rushed to greet a new friend. "Nice to meet you! My name's Gabrielle!" I chirped and put out a welcome hand before I could even see the person, make sure they knew I was a friend. I found myself next to the chair and offered a bright smile to the student.

"Yeah. Same here," Sighed a husky, tired voice. "I'm Abaddon."

Two red pupils stared back at me.

…

" _What's that, Daddy?"_

" _Gabrielle. *sigh* What have I told you about looking through my text books?"_

" _Is that a doggy, Daddy?"_

" _My child, I keep these books on the higher shelves for a reason. I'm proud that you can fly, but you need to respect basic house rules. Remember, honour thy father and mother."_

" _Why does it look so angry?"_

" _*sigh* What book is that? Let me see. Oh…I see you you've discovered my book on daemonology."_

" _What's De-Dae-m-monologee?"_

" _*chuckle* Dae-mon-o-lo-gy, dear child. And it is something that is very…bad."_

" _Bad? Why?"_

" _Daemons don't like us angels, they're not very…pleasant to anyone. In fact, they're actually quite evil."_

" _*gasp* Evil?!"_

" _Oh yes. And it is our duty to make sure they stay in Hell where they belong!"_

" _Hell!...Gee, they must be very mean to be there."_

" _Hmm, that certainly is one way of putting it, my dear."_

" _Well, what dae-mon is that then?"_

" _That is a Hellhound, one of the Devil's most vile creations."_

" _It looks like a puppy."_

" _Well, it's certainly not a puppy of any kind. It's a monster in all regards."_

" _R-Really?"_

" _Gabrielle, just look at that drawing; what do you see?"_

" _Um, a d-daemon?"_

" _*chuckle* That is correct. But we need details, child, details."_

" _Uh…it's eyes are…on fire! It's in the nude, *giggle* Um, it's got very sharp teeth and claws. Oh, and it's, ugh, drooling a lot as well. Gross. Ugh, and it's drool is smoking the ground!"_

" _It's venomous, dear. Very harmful stuff."_

" _Have you ever seen a Hellhound, Daddy?"_

" _Hah, I am glad to say I have not. And I never will, thankfully."_

" _Huh?"_

" _The Divine creator has led us to victory in this regard, my darling child. The majority of their filth has been wiped from existence, it won't be long before the race goes extinct."_

" _E-Extinct…but I thought you said all death was bad. That we should cry when someone dies."_

" _This is a different matter, Gabrielle. Daemons are not worth anything to us. They are the causes of death on the surface, their extinction will be a blessing to the world!"_

" _So…we kill them..."_

" _*laugh* We purify them, darling. It's what the Divine wants. Trust me, Gabrielle, the only good daemon is a dead daemon."_

…

Sorry Dad, but it looks like your book was a web of lies. I mean, I'd already suspected that at six, but I can prove it wrong now. Not that you'd believe me either way.

His eyes were staring right at me, red and black widened in shock, sinking into the rose red fur. He wore a thin dark jacket which hung lazily over a plain grey shirt, but he did wear no pants, so I guess I could give the book half a point. From the slight gape he had, I could see his teeth were sharper than normal but not nearly as bad as the drawing had displayed, they just looked like normal fangs, and no disgusting slobber was burning the ground. Heck I was shaking his hand and no claws were sinking into my flesh, it seemed like _he_ just wanted to let go of me while I held him in an iron grip.

I don't understand. _This_ was one of our greatest enemies? By Heaven's view I was supposed to be running for my life and he was supposed to be snapping his jaws around my throat.

But I wasn't afraid. I was just…curious! Why was that? What reason did I have to fear him if the book was wrong?

Well it was simple to me, I didn't.

I may be breaking several traditions here, and I could be wrong, and this Demon maybe did want to rip my guts out, but I didn't see it in that moment, and that was good enough for me to say I still thought I could make a friend. I didn't see any monster, I couldn't see any danger, so reason did I have to think otherwise? I smiled brightly at Abaddon, shaking his hand vigorously. "I hope we can become friends!"

The Hellhound – no – Abaddon, drew back with a raised brow, looking me up and down with a frown. He gently pulled his hand away, and I saw his posture straighten with a weak cough. "Uh, sure." He said tensely, drawing his eyes away to look back at the cheetah.

'Sure?' Well that was a good enough sign for me! I took my seat in the other chair. "Well it's good to see you're already getting along." The cheetah said, making me smile, though I almost thought I could see Abaddon roll his eyes from the corner of my vision.

Oh, I loved it when they played hard to get.

"Gabrielle, it is truly wonderful to meet you." The cheetah said, his deep voice was incredibly soothing and friendly. "My name is Zechariah, I'm the Vice Principle of the Academy."

"Nice to meet you, Sir." My smile broadened. "Please, call me Gabi, all my friends do." The cheetah chuckled. I couldn't believe how well this was going, what was my Dad so worried about?

"Wait, the _vice_ principle?" Abaddon said dryly, "Who's the principle then?"

"Oh, that would be Principle Winston." He pointed to the right of the room. "He's just over there."

We all turned to see a tiny squid creature behind a desk, clutching onto a teapot like it was a treasure trove from the Bermuda Triangle. His blank, despondent eyes stared at us, while he exaggeratedly slurped up a thin line of drool into his tentacle…thingies.

I could only stare back in silence. What was I supposed to say? Tiny, weird squid creature vs tall, friendly, cheetah with a voice like honey. Who would you think was more qualified to run an Academy?

I looked over to Abaddon, he too stared at the squid with a sceptical, disbelieving look. "How did nobody realise that guy was in the room until now?" He muttered, I couldn't tell if he was talking to me or not so I just responded with a shrug.

Zechariah laughed softly, "That doesn't matter right now, though, we need to get you to your first class, which luckily enough is one you both share."

Yes! Even more chances to get to know him, as well as other people! I smiled over at Abaddon who offered a small nod, though his frown communicated a hint of disinterest. Probably just early day nerves, poor guy.

Zechariah lifted a front leg, revealing a small watch, "Jackie, could you please send Jackson over?" The watch lit a dim blue when he spoke into it.

"Ohhhhh!" A muffled cry of glee came from the watch. "Are my new little prodigies here? He'll be there in a jiffy!" A walkie talkie watch? Good Lord, the surface was cool. All Heaven had was those weird turn circle phones that always offered an awful reception.

"Thank you, Jackie." Zechariah said, the light on the watch faded as he set his paw back down. "That was Jackie, your performance teacher."

I nodded, "She seemed nice!" You could hear the smile in her voice.

Zechariah rolled his eyes, but his smile was good natured. " _Extremely_ so!"

Abaddon sighed with a nod of grave understanding, "Great." He mumbled.

I grinned, "Isn't it?" Better get right to befriending him, and the best way to do that was numbing his sarcasm into realising he was actually right!

Two dark eyes narrowed, "Ever heard of irony, Celestial?"

I knew just the right response after years of having Jessie as a friend. "Hm, can't say I have?" Sarcasm against sarcasm always worked in my case. Though maybe it was a mistake as Abaddon turned with a distasteful groan.

Okay, friendship log no.1: Abaddon doesn't like sarcasm (maybe, it's kinda hard to tell).

Zechariah coughed urgently, "Come now, Abaddon." He said with a soft frown, "I'm sure you will love becoming acquainted with Jackie, she truly is a joy at heart."

Abaddon crossed his arms with a scoff. "Don't worry, I'll do what's expected of me. I'm not the kinda guy who goes around causing trouble." His voice was low, but his stare augmented a genuine sense of respect.

"That's very good to know." Zechariah said, satisfied.

We were silent for a few minutes, me glancing at Abaddon occasionally while he just stared to the other side the whole while, not bothering to look at anyone. I hoped that he would look over at some point so he could see I was still smiling at him, see I wanted us to be friends, but he just kept his face away from anyone but the blank wall. I exhaled silently, it was gonna be a _long_ road to friendship with this boy.

The door creaked open and a brown furry face peeked in, "You wanted to see me, Sir." It was a dog like creature, maybe a jackal?

"Yes, Jackson. These are our new students, Abaddon and Gabrielle."

Jackson stood forward, his fur was ruffled and slightly unkempt, bruising evident on several patches of his arms and torso. "Oh, nice to meet you." His voice was shaky but shone with a handsome kindness.

I gave him a friendly wave. Abaddon nodded absently.

"They're in your performance class, Jackson, I was hoping if you could please escort them there?"

"Oh, sure." Jackson smiled gently at us. "It'd be a pleasure." You could already tell from his demeanour that he was a nice guy. Everything about him seemed to scream honest friendliness.

"Thank you." Zechariah turned to us with a final smile. "Well I'll leave you two in Jackson's capable hands, I do hope you both have a fine first day." We both rose and I nodded gratefully at him.

"I'm sure I will, thank you very much." I said politely, almost bowing respectfully at the cheetah.

"Yeah, thanks." The Hellhound said, already walking past Jackson towards the door. Jackson looked quickly at Abaddon with a glimmer of confusion, then turned to me with an awkward smile. I returned it, of course, striving to make a first impression. I offered Zechariah one last pleasant wave before following the jackal out the room.

We all began our way towards the class, Jackson walking by my side while Abaddon stalked a few steps behind us. "So, uh, it's nice to, um, meet you two." He repeated, unintentionally by the quick mutter of disproval that escaped.

"Nice to meet you, too." I said, "I'm Gabi, and that's Abaddon."

We both turned to the Demon who responded with a swift raise of his eyes.

"I've never seen an angel before." Jack said, looking me over with admiration. I blushed, unable to stop the sin of pride from filling my chest. Praise be to the Lord, for I have sinned. (Apparently)

"I'm told I'm the first to attend the school."

"Really? Why's that?"

Ignorance, pride, selfishness, arrogance, snobbiness, hierarchy, .

"Not sure. I guess no one wanted to before." I'd die before I, outwardly, bad mouthed my home.

"Oh, well," He stuttered like he'd said something wrong. "It's, uh, great that you're the first! Your mom and dad must be proud, at least."

Oh, Jackson. Poor, poor Jackson. Yes, we may assume that, maybe from the fact that it is a considerable moment in history as we stop to think of it, and we may also take in the fact that parents should naturally support their child. And, yes, my mother may fit that category, well done her, but unfortunately there is also the factor of my father being a _noble_ seraph who sees anything that doesn't fit old tradition with the kind of attitude you may have when you see a slug tragically cooking in the hot sun. So, no, my father was not proud.

"Sure they are." I simpered. Again, wasn't gonna bad mouth him _physically._

Jack nodded graciously, then turned to Abaddon curiously, "What about you, Abaddon? Which part of Hell are you from?"

Abaddon made a sound that seemed like a chuckle, but he didn't smile. "I don't live in Hell."

"Oh, sorry, I just assumed that-"

"Don't apologise, it's a fair assumption." Abaddon said, still gazing away from us. "But, no, I live around Safe Haven."

Jackson sighed with relief, but still held an apologetic look. "Sorry, it's just that, there are-" His face filled with discomfort then his gaze sank to the floor. "Nevermind."

There were what? I was about to ask when Jackson rose up with a hopeful gleam.

"You're not the only Demon here, you know?"

For the first time, Abaddon's eyes faced Jackson. "Yeah, I heard. Satan's kid is here right?"

Hold on a second. Did I just hear that right? "Did you say Satan?" I piped, slowing my stride to walk closer to Abaddon. "The Lord of Hell? The fallen one? The red death? Lucifer himself?"

"That sounds like him." A knot appeared on Abaddon's brow and he didn't face me.

"His son comes here? As in the Antichrist?"

Jackson groaned, "That's Damian. He's my cousin."

Abaddon couldn't seem to hold back a snicker, " _Damian... How original."_ He muttered.

The Antichrist was attending my school? The son of the one true enemy of Heaven, the heir to the throne of Damnation, the son of 666? I was to attend classes with him!

"Neat!" I chirped, making both Abaddon and Jackson glance at me sceptically. Sure, if my dad found out he would probably put a hole in the barrier of Heaven, but that didn't matter if I wasn't gonna tell him! I was gonna make as many friends as I could at this school and old traditions and enemies were Heaven's problems, not mine. No Demon had ever done me harm. I had no reason to hate them. "What's he like?"

Jackson gave me a look of someone who had seen way too much in their time. "One word: Annoying!"

"Not evil?" I asked jokingly.

Jackson lifted his head with a sigh, "Probably not that bad. He's just a brat!"

"Oh, well, that's better than evil!" I exclaimed, grinning at the Jackal.

"Yeah I guess so. But anyway," He looked back at Abaddon, "Just thought that'd help, most people like Dame so you shouldn't have any problems here!"

Abaddon straightened himself with a tired exhale, "Thanks for the advice, dude, but I really don't care if people have a problem with me here. They'll get what they're giving." He said, almost scowling.

I smiled, that meant if I gave him kindness, I'd get it in return! Yay!

"Oh, uh, g-great." Jackson said uneasily, taking in an unknown discomfort.

Once again, the air was in a tense silence. Oh, this was gonna be hard. If no one talked, how were we supposed to become best friends!

"You're both doing performance?" The Jackal inquired, hopelessly starting another conversation point.

Abaddon shrugged, "Apparently so."

Jackson beamed, "What do you guys play?"

"Vocals." I piped. "Years of the Holy Choir really rub off on you." Jackson laughed earnestly. A good sign!

"That's great! I know someone who's part of our local church choir, she'll love you!"

"Is that a reference to my species?" I pretended to be offended, which made the Jackal splutter, but I quickly burst out with a laugh. "Kidding! I look forward to meeting her."

Jackson chuckled lightly, before looking over to Abaddon. "Do you play anything, um, Abaddon, was it?"

"It was. And yeah, I do."

It was silent for a moment, Jackson waited for more but Abaddon looked sleepily to the side. The jackal laughed uncomfortably, glancing at me almost in desperation. Like I knew how to talk to this boy.

I coughed. "Um, what do you play, Abaddon?" He was a few feet away but I could still feel him looking down on me. The boy was incredibly tall, almost a full foot above me and a good few inches above Jackson who also was half a foot higher than me. But I couldn't allow myself to be intimidated by this. Intimidation caused distrust. And how could you make any friends without trust.

"Guitar." He sighed.

Friendship log no.2: Abaddon plays guitar! Possible conversation starter!

"That's so cool! I wish I could play an instrument, but you don't get a huge choice in Heaven." Seriously, it was either harp or horn, neither of which suited me at _all._

"Yeah," Jackson added, "I've been trying to learn the guitar actually but, uh, heh, it's not really working out." He blushed sheepishly.

Abaddon looked at him mildly, "Just gotta practice, dude. That's all I can tell you."

"Yeah," Jack rubbed his neck shyly, "Guess that's the secret, right?"

"I'd call it common knowledge, but yeah." Abaddon's voice held no contempt, but it was far from friendly.

The awkward silence returned. Until I piped up again. "Well, I hope I'll be able to hear you sometime, Abe."

Abaddon blinked then cast me a look. "Did you just call me Abe?"

I also blinked, then my face lit up with a small blush. "Yep! You can call me Gabi if you want!" That was good, establish nicknames! Me and Jessie had done it soon enough after first meeting. Me and Abe were one step closer to friendship!

"Yeah, I'll pass, thanks." Abaddon shook his head and cut his gaze elsewhere, as if that was the end of the conversation.

I laughed merrily, "You can't pass on a nickname! Once it sticks, you're stuck with it!"

"You created it like five seconds ago."

"That's all it takes!"

"That's true." Jackson said with a laugh, as he led us towards two large red doors. "Whether you like it or not, the name's always find a way to stick. You guys can call me Jack if you like. All my friends do."

Yes! I'd actually made a friend who called me the word first! This was gonna be a blast! I could make friends through his friends as well, then friends through theirs, soon enough I'd have an entire section of the cafeteria I could hand out with!

"Of course, Jack!" We shared a smile as a sign outside the doors became clear. "Theatre!" was painted in bright yellow letters next to the gleaming red doors.

Jackson faced us with a proud grin, "Well, here we are! Welcome to our class." He put out his hand which I gladly shook, Abaddon reluctantly did the same. "I hope you two like it here."

"I'm sure I will." That was certainly the truth. Compared to the boring existence of the Academy in Eden, anything would be better. And this place certainly looked to be; the colours, the people, the energy, everything was passing my expectations, times twenty! "How about you, Abe?"

Abaddon slowly turned to me, brow knotted and eyes narrowed into dark slits. "It's Abaddon." He said, his voice displayed no malice yet no benevolence, just plain fatigue. He stared at me for a few seconds before tightly sighing and proceeding through the doors.

There was a moment of silence, Jack looked back and forth between me and the doors, a tender sympathy in his eyes. He offered an awkward chuckle, placing a hand on my shoulder, "You okay?"

I smiled at him, "Why wouldn't I be?"

He almost looked concerned. "Well, Abaddon giving you the cold shoulder and all."

"Oh, he's just a bit nervous is all. We all are when we come to a new school, right?" I crossed my arms confidently. "He'll open up soon enough." He had to, no one was naturally mean.

"Well, yeah," Jack turned to the doors with a shake of his head, "But, just remember, there are tons of people here who I _know_ would like to meet you. You don't need to focus on just one person."

I frowned at him, "Isn't it better to make as many friends as you can?" Why would you pass on the opportunity to get to know everyone you could? Limiting your possible list of friends just seemed like a waste to me.

Jackson opened his mouth, but quickly shut it, looking to the ground delicately. "Maybe, but," He met my gaze with a sad shrug, "Some people just like their own company."

Some people liked to be alone? People liked to have no one to laugh with, to smile with, or hang out with? Some people like to have no one they could call a friend?

In Heaven, I had no one like that. And I didn't like that. It just made me lonely. It was the reason I had come here in the first place.

No. Of course people wanted friends.

I challenged Jack's sad gaze with a cheerful beam, my wings fluttering in anticipation. "Well then, maybe they just haven't found the right company yet!" I chirped.

For a second, he said nothing, but soon Jack craned his neck and he had to return the smile. He snickered in his throat and led way to the doors. "Maybe. How about I introduce you to the right company?" He offered.

"I'd like that very much, thank you." I said, going to open the doors with him, "The more the merrier, after all."

With Jack's hand on one door, and mine on the other, I pushed into a new beginning.

…

 **I don't like writing for extroverts on the account I'm a miserable bastard.**

 **Nevertheless I hope you enjoyed the chapter.**

 **Abaddon/Gabi/Jessie belong to me.**

 **Other Characters belong to Vivziepop.**


	3. Chapter 3

I can tell from the moment I step into the room I'm going to hate these people.

They all stop their incessive chatter the moment I come into closer view, a deathly silence shrouding them as I step towards the stage they all perch on. They all stare at me while I come towards the only adult in the room, a dark skinned lady with a vibrant colour of blue and yellow in her hair. She's the only one who doesn't seem sullen as she grins at me and steps forward with incredible ecstasy.

"Hello, hello, hello!" She exclaims reaching out to grab my hand before I can offer it. This seems to be a familiar gesture from these surface walkers. I hold back a growl though and let her nearly rip it off. "You must be my new little prodigy!" Her voice is sharp, with a tone as bright as the sun.

"Yeah," I say weakly, "I'm Abaddon."

"Oh, it's so nice to meet you, Abaddon!" The woman beams, "My name is Jackie, and I'm the performance instructor here!"

Well, she certainly looks the part. This woman is a stream of colour, everything about her just stands out like a sore thumb. She's dressed like she _wants_ people to look at her.

"So, are you ready to get cracking?"

I sigh and look towards the students, my classmates, with a tired frown. "I suppose so."

"Wonderful! Now where on Earth is Jack?"

"The jackal? He's with-"

Before I can finish I hear a rapid flapping sounds as a blur of white rushes past me, almost knocking me down as the Celestial stands beside me. She is besting Jackie's grin, by lord how her cheeks hold up I do not know, and she stands there with her hands together like a petite schoolgirl. I force myself not to glare at her and brush off one of her feathers that has fell on my shoulder.

"Oh!" Jackie's grin gets wider. "You must be my other little blessing!"

Gabrielle blushes and cranes her head innocently, "Pleasure to meet you Ms, I'm Gabi."

Her sugary sweetness makes me want to puke.

"It's a joy! My name is Jackie!" She pipes, a confident expression fills her cheeks. "Now are you two ready to rock!"

"You bet!" The angel say with an embarrassing fist pump.

Both look to me, hoping for another burst of enthusiasm. I'm quick to disappoint them.

"Sure." I repeat.

The angel's face drops slightly, but Jackie appears immune. "Excellent! Such fun! I'll give you a few minutes to get to know your new friends while I pop to see Zech for a few minutes." She ushers us towards the stage before striding off with a hop and a skip.

Leaving me with the kids? Wow, these people really did trust Demons.

I feel Gabrielle nudge me, "She seems nice."

Glad you told me that, Celestial. I really was interested in what you thought there.

"Hmm. Yep." I make my way up the stage and come to face the collection of students. I try my best to ignore them and step to a solitary space but I feel a tight grip on my shoulder. I expect it to be the angel and turn with a glare, but it's not an angel, it's a demon.

Red eyes, floating, the aura around it. It's a demon all right. Some red jackal who looks taller with his little floating power, but another quick glimpse would confirm that the guy was a pipsqueak, almost half my size.

"Well, well, well." He says, "Never thought I'd see another one of us up here!" He grins, and floats around me playfully. "What noble family are you part of?"

Wait? This runt was the Antichrist, wasn't he? Didn't look like much. Why on Earth was he wearing a dress?

"Let me guess, you're Satan's kid?"

His chest puffs up proudly, it's like seeing a pre-teen act hard in front of his mates. Cute, but unbelievably pathetic. "That I am!" He sways in the air and grins at me. "Name's Damian. You're Abaddon, right?"

"That's what I said to Jackie?"

"Nice to meet ya!" We hear Gabi come up behind us and she smiles at the Antichist. I look on in shock, she was right in front of the Antichrist, the spawn of God's greatest enemy, and she didn't even hesitate before keeping up her friendly little attitude. What was up with this girl?

"It's nice to meet you Damian." She looks at the rest of the students still smiling like a choir girl, "It's nice to meet you all, I hope we can all become friends!" She rushes towards the other students and begins greeting every one of them vigorously. Good God, this girl was way too eager. Was her life really so empty that she needed to befriend every single person she laid her eyes on. She had a rude awakening in store if she wasn't careful about who she associated with.

I'd made those decisions when I was young. People seemed _so friendly_ , and then next thing you know they've got a gun to your back, are ready to get their reward from Xirxine and you need to rip the bastard to shreds in order to survive another day.

Oh, who am I kidding? She was an angel for crying out loud. The only people who wanted to do her harm were burning on a crucifix in Hell's third layer.

Damian whistles softly, "Wasn't expecting that? Nice kid, isn't she!" He smirks and wraps an unwelcome arm around my shoulder, "Trust me bro, you are gonna love it here! This place is so much cooler than all that boring crap down there!"

I force myself away from him, "We'll see." That's a lie. I wasn't planning on doing any sight seeing, I just wanted to find the library so I could read the hours away. I didn't want to waste my time pretending to be best mates with some blue blooded brat.

"Dame, quit bothering him." Jack sighs, looking to the demon with crossed arms.

"I was just introducing myself, Jackster." Damian says, rising his arms in mock innocence. "He's another demon for God's sake, you'd be happy if you were me!"

Jack scowls, "Well, thankfully I'm not you!" Damian laughed him off and looked back at me.

"We should hang out, dude! The only demons on the surface, together as one!" He stated to fly away, not giving me the chance to rebuff his extremely weird suggestion. Great, even the demons were over ecstatic freaks here.

I sigh and rub his touch off my jacket. "I'm really sorry about my cousin." Jack said, smiling apologetically at me.

My gaze gentles slightly. "You weren't kidding when you said annoying were you?"

Jack chuckles, "Try putting up with him for sixteen years, that wasn't even him at his worst."

I allow myself to chuckle. This guy wasn't being over the top with his politeness, he seemed down to earth, I could spare him a few minutes. "I don't doubt it. Still, I've met worse." I glimpse over at the angel, she seems to have made a good impression on some peach kangaroo and a yellow…thing.

Jack notices my frown and looks with me at the angel. "Oh, w-well. It seems like she's made some friends. That's good at least."

"I guess." It's good for me at least, maybe it'll keep her away from me.

We stand in awkward silence for a couple of minutes, then Jack coughs tirelessly. "Um, I actually know those two. I'll introduce you if you like."

"Nah I'm good." I didn't want to gain anymore attention than needed. "I'll just wait until…"

"Zill! Come over here!" Jack calls out before I can finish. I glare at him while he just realises what he's done, he laughs weakly and shrugs. "Oh, heh, sorry."

It's too late for sorry because the yellow thing is walking towards us. Great. More _friends_ Upon a second glance I notice the peach kangaroo walking slowly behind him, almost trying to hide herself. I can _only_ imagine why. "What's up Jack?" The creature's voice has a small accent of Spanish, he stands just a few inches below me, though the thin yellow strands, that I think are his ears, give him a taller sense. From the corner of my eye I also see that his tail is actually a snake, curled and grinning up at me.

"The sky is up, Zill." They both laugh at the jackal's joke, even though it's tired and contrived, and turn to face me. I nod at the yellow creature and he offers me another hand to shake.

"Hey there, I'm Zill." His voice is calm and confident. I take his hand and am pleasantly surprised that he isn't one to try and shake it off. "Abaddon, right?"

"Yeah, pleasure." I say, almost meaning it. Zill raises a finger and looks to me with a half-lidded simper.

"Before you ask, I don't know what I am." He chuckles.

I wasn't going to ask that at all, but I nod again at him. "Okay, bit weird, not going to lie."

"Don't I know it." He sniggers, "Do you mind if I ask what you are?"

I shrug, "Sure. Hellhound."

He nods like he understands what I'm saying, "You part of a noble family like him?" He gestures to Damian with a hint of distaste.

I scoff, "Do I look like royalty to you?"

Zill scoffs, "I guess not, no offence, but neither does he to be fair."

That is a fair point. That scrawny little runt does _not_ look like a noble. I allow myself to chuckle again, then I catch notice of the kangaroo behind Zill. When she was talking to Gabi, she looked like she was ready to explode with joy, talking rapidly with the girl and sharing irritatingly loud laughs together. Here, she's got her eyes forced somewhere else and is trying to hide a strange trembling in the hand she has linked with Zill's.

I raise a brow suspiciously, "You alright?"

For a moment she doesn't seem to notice I've directed the question at her, but a quick nudge from Zill wakes her from her trance. She looks directly into my eyes, in a panic, and lets out a shaky breath.

"Uh, y-yeah. I'm fine, th-thank you." She stammers, her blue eyes trying hard to look friendly. It's not very convincing!

Zill looks nervous for a moment. "This is Kayla, my girlfriend and the greatest singer in this school." She attempts to smile sweetly at him, but there's a strong sense of discomfort in her gaze.

"Hmm." I look her over, noticing her legs are trembling slightly. My voice goes low, "Nice to meet you." I say, I'm being overly polite here, but I want to see her reaction. Sure enough the girl only nods feverishly and tries to look somewhere else.

I look over at Jack who gulps as it seems a sudden fact has struck him like lightning. I sigh gravely. Of course. I expected as much after all. I shake my head and grace the girl by paying her no mind. I can hardly blame her for her obvious fear though, it actually makes her seem like the only reasonable mortal I've met since I came here.

Zill quickly coughs, "Well, uh, it was great to meet you, Abaddon." He's trying his hardest to be nice, poor sod, but the rapid pace of his girlfriend to get away overshadows his kindness. "We'll talk later, okay."

I won't want to, but we probably will. "I guess."

Zill nods and takes his leave, the kangaroo leading him along. Maybe I should be thanking the girl. At least she's keeping someone out of my business. Jack turns to me with a pitiful expression.

"Don't take it to heart." Jack say gently, "Kayla's Christian, you see, so it's just a little…hard for her to get to know Demons. Especially since Damian's constantly trying to flirt with her."

Christian eh? The Celestial's of the surface. I guess that explains a lot. Though I guess I can add her to the list of, so called, Christians not upholding that golden rule of 'Love Thy Neighbour'. Then again, I suppose those prophets were quick to label out all Demons as unworthy. Pretty racist if you ask me.

"I don't really care, dude."

"She's a really nice girl when you get to know her, I promise." Oh, I'm sure she is. But does she wanna get to know me? That is the question.

"Sure." I say it as convincingly as I can, I don't need him desperately trying to explain his point.

He seems satisfied and smiles, then after another minute of silence, attempts a smooth breakaway by chuckling and checking a watch that isn't there. "Well, I think Jackie will be back soon. I better get the drum set ready."

I nod, finally a moment of peace. "You have fun with that."

"I'll try." He anxiously simpers, "I'll see you later, bud."

Honestly the guy is so soft hearted, I don't even feel bothered to remind him I'm not his friend. I just make a sound of acknowledgement and tilt my head as he waves himself off. It's the best way to send off people like him.

I watch as the class chatters in their familiar routine, laughing and joking, already forgetting the new arrivals in the class. Which suits me just fine. Now I can just settle in the corner, and…wait. I guess. Still, it could be worse. At least the majority of these people are keeping their distance. And the ones who have stepped too close for comfort, I mean, I've had people come at me with knives before so I guess I can't complain.

"Isn't this place great!"

Well, spoke too soon.

I don't even look at the angel as I begin rummaging through my bag. It's time to see how prepared Xaphan was for this. I can still feel her unnatural smile on me, though, refusing to leave me in peace.

She doesn't let up, "I mean, the surface eh! It's something else!"

"Haven't seen enough of it yet." I say dryly. I examine the contents of the bag, it's the standard stuff: pencil case, notebooks, that can of deodorant he mentioned while I was falling (smart arse), and my- oh shit. A thin red notebook lies in the bag, one that is immediately recognisable. It's my lyric book. Damn it! Now I was going to hear poet comments for months, I just hoped he hadn't found the music sheets.

"Yeah, but if what I've seen so far is anything normal. This place is going to be a blast." Her wings fluff in excitement.

I can hardly find the energy to listen, my mind is focused too much on that damn guardian of mine. I sigh and lean against the wall. "Yeah, I'm _so_ glad you're enjoying yourself." The girl doesn't seem to have any sense for sarcasm.

"Thanks!" She chirps, making an effort of falling beside me on the wall, her face directly in front of mine. "So, what made you want to come here?"

I scoff and turn away, "I didn't. I was just dropped in." Literally.

The girl clearly doesn't get my words but nudges me nonetheless, "Oh, guess we can call it a happy accident then?" She laughs at her joke while I stare on away from her. Good grief, this girl was something else. At least the Christian and the boyfriend could take a hint.

"What's that?" She asks, peering down into my bag. I look down and I cringe. She's looking at the damn lyric book. I quickly zip my bag up and push it behind me. "Just a notebook. I'm told we need it for these classes."

She raises a brow and crosses her arms. "Must be pretty important notes." I almost want to smirk at the attitude this girl has. Not everyday you meet an angel with a bit of grit. Most are uptight, prissy freaks who moan about who does the killing because they don't want to get blood on their dress.

"Yeah, well. That's for me to know and for you to wonder."

"Fair enough, it's your business. So, Jack seems like a nice guy!"

That's the second time the girl has tried to open a conversation with that line on someone being 'nice'. Pretty tedious. "Oh, well then it looks like you'll make a friend pretty quickly."

She grins, "I thought we all already were friends." Her hand slaps my back, roughly, I frown dangerously at her. Me? Friends with her? I don't think I want a family of Celestials coming to barge down my door. I was hardly friends with Xaphan, nevermind the species that nearly drove my kind extinct. I mean, of course I didn't blame her for that. She probably wasn't even born by the time of the massacre, there was no point in blaming her for the crimes of her ancestors. Just the same as there was no point in blaming me for the endless stream of crimes that _some_ Demons have committed.

The only difference was that the Seraphs did just that. In their eyes, I was as guilty as any other Demon for crimes I didn't even know were committed. The way of self-righteous hypocrisy.

"Sorry, Kid." I said, straightening out my jacket. "We ain't friends."

For a moment, the happy eyes dim a little, and the golden shine in her hair sags. "Why?"

"I like to be alone."

She makes a face, frowning a little. "No one _likes_ to be alone."

"I do."

Her arms fold with a sceptical brow. "Why?"

I shrug, "Gives me a little peace. Everyone likes a bit of peace."

"Not all the time! That just sounds awful!"

"Maybe for you." I say with a yawn. "But not for me. We're different people."

She rolls her eyes, "Yes, but everyone wants friends! Why wouldn't you?"

Jeez, this girl had an answer for everything. It's beginning to piss me off a little.

"I just answered that. Peace; maybe…bad experiences." I keep the last part vague. "You're not in Heaven anymore, petal, some places don't just have people walking around holding hands and singing hymns! People _can_ be jerks."

"But a lot more are not jerks!" She says defiantly. "Everyone I've met so far has been great, including you."

I can't stop a laugh from escaping me. She thinks I'm great? I've been ignoring her for most of the day! How peachy was Heaven that she didn't understand that wasn't the mark of a social personality? "You're in for a bad surprise then, Celestial."

"I like surprises." The angel stares back with a smirk. Damn, she is quick on the draw. It would be admirable if she actually knew what she was talking about.

"We'll see about that. But I want no part in it, I'm here because I was forced, I don't require or desire friends." I say it bluntly, hoping to drive every word in like a nail. "End of story."

I draw back slightly when I see her smile sink into a thin line. It's silent for a moment, though it seems unnatural considering what I've seen of the girl. I hopefully think it's the end of the conversation, but my stomach turns icy when I see that dreadful beam return, and her wings fly upwards, giving her confidence a sense of height.

"Sorry, Abe, but I can't allow that." She shrugs and her golden hair swings with a proud crane of her neck. "I'm gonna hang out with you until you realise you want friends, and by then, I'll be your first!"

This girl really was setting herself up for disappointment. I wouldn't care except it was gonna affect me!

"You're wasting your time!" I hissed.

Another flash of her smile. "Maybe, but it won't feel like it to me."

Okay, now this girl was seriously pushing her luck. "Listen to me! I-"

"All right guys!" We both turn and see Jackie looking up at the class, still giddy and glowing. "I'm glad you two are getting along, but class is starting now."

My jaw drops at the getting along comment. Was no one here capable of understanding emotions?! But at least it gave me a reason to get away from the Celestial. I sigh and walk away, the girl flapping merrily behind me. "Okay, Jackie. What are we learning about then?"

"Yeah, let's get started!" Gabrielle chirps in, still holding onto her delusions of friendship.

Jackie chuckles, "It's individual performance guys!" My eyes shoot open. "Since you two are new, I'll let you guys just watch the others today, I don't want to dip you guys in the deep end without armbands after all!" She laughs out loud, "Then in tomorrows class, once you've thought over your choice, I'll let you guys perform to the class! Show us what you're made of!"

Gabrielle squeals in delight, flying up a little with joy. "That sounds wonderful! Can it be any song?"

"Of course! Be it original or a cover, musical ballad or radio hit, I just want to see you guys shine!"

Gabrielle has flown down and is now merrily discussing details with Jackie, leaving me silent and still on the stage, slowly contemplating the situation, undoing the top of my jacket buttons as I began to sweat from the nuke of expectation that had been dropped on me.

I had to perform? Perform a song? Perform a song to the class? When I wanted to not stand out at all?!

Shit.

…

 **Yeah, this is gonna be hard. Thanks for reading!**

 **Zoophobia belongs to Vivziepop,**

 **Abaddon, Gabi, Xaphan, belong to me.**


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